Car-coupling



(No'Model.) A `LC BRYMI.

` lGAR GOUPLING. n No'. 291,572. Patented Jan. a, .1884.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

W Y nl f1 A UIIU "NNI m .,A

WITNESSBS Jhd NiTnD STATES PATENT ,rrrcn0 JOHN o. BRYAN, or HOLLY sriiilvcs, Ari-Kansas.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,572, dated January 8, 1884.

i Application filed Mayljl. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, JOHN C. BRYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holly Springs, in the county of Dallas and State of ,Arkansas have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to earcoupling devices, and hasfor its object to provide a cario coupling which will be automatic in its Operation, and one that may be operated from the top or eitherside of the car, thus avoiding the great danger attendant upon entering between the cars for the purpose of coupling them.

The invention consists lin the novel mechanism employed for the accomplishment of these objects, as hereinafter described and claimed. To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa plan view of a,platformcar inverted, having my improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of the draw-head attachment, and Fig. 4 is an end view of the draw-head. Fig. 5 is a detail View.`

The U-shaped frame A is loosely attached to the draw-head B by clips, as shown at a a, with its points downward. This frame A is intended to carry the coupling-pin a', which is attached to its center, as shown, while to its lower ends is attachedthe apron C, whichis intended to guide the link on its entrance into the draw-head. The apron is provided with a spring or arm, c, which is adapted to bear against the under side of the draw-head, when the frame A is raised, in such manner as to hold it raised (see full lines, Fig. l, and dotted lines, Fig. 2) at an angle of about thirty degrees below the horizon, in which position `it will receive and guide the link into the mouth of the draw-head, whether the carsA be of the same or different heights. The apron ispivoted to the frame A, and the latter has vertical rods or bars `that work in clips or guides a a, attached to thesides of the draw-head.

D D indicate elbow-levers, which are pivoted to iixed portions of the frame-work C of the car.

E is a bifurcated rod, the forked projections of which are attached to the upper ends of the elbow-levers D, while the other extremity passes through a girder of the car and is attached to the chainor hook K, which is attached` to the lever system composed of the levers F, G, and H and links f.

gis a spiral retaining-spring connected to the lever E, for the purpose of forcing it forward when not held back by the levers.

J is a sliding rod supported underneath the 6o girder, and adapted to shift apivoted catch, N, to cause it to engage with a shoulder on the rod E to lock it, for the purpose of holding up the pin a, so as to prevent the cars from coupling, when so desired.

This coupling device can be operated from the left of the car by means of the lever F, from the right of the car by the lever G, and from the top of the car by the lever H.

The'construction, attachment. and mode of 7o operation of these several levers is obvious and need no explanation, except, perhaps. to

-say that either may be provided with proper catches to hold them when forced back, so that it willbe impossible to couple the car until 7 the lever is released, thus performing the work which the rod J is designed to perform.

From the above descriptionof my device, together with the accompanying drawings, its inode of operation will be readily understood to be as follows: Any one of the levers F, G, and H being forced backward by the operator will cause the rod E to throw elbowievers D into the position shown in full lines, Fig. 1, and dotted lines, Fig. 2that is to say, the upper arms of said levers D being drawn backward, their lower ends are forced forward and upward, carrying with them the frame A and apron C, which movement is continued until the coupling-pin a has risen far enough to clear the upper edge of the trip or throat-plate i, when the latter will be-forced forwardby the spiral spring 7c in rear of `it and pass beneath the pin a', so as to hold it raised in the position (Fig. 2) required for coupling automatically-that is to say, when the link of an approaching car strikes riipon the inclined apron C, itwill be guided upward hinto the draw-head B and strike the trip-plate z', force it backward, and thus the support of the pin a being removed, it will fall by gravity, and, passing through the link, couple the cars.

TOO

It is obvious that the elbow-levers D, apronguide C, and U-shaped frame Aalso drop with the pin a into the original and normal position.

Ihe trip-plate ft' is preferably secured to the end ofa rod encircled by the spring lc, and its upper and lower edges are respectively turned forward and backward to afford support for the coupling-pin, and to furnish a broad base to rest on the door of the draw-head.

What I claim isl. In a car-coupling, the combination of the U-shaped frame carrying the coupling-pin, the trip-plate i, and spring k for acting thereon, the apron-guide, and levers for raising said pin, frame, and guide, substantially as specied.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of the apron C, having spring c, and the oscillating elbow-levers D, whereby the frame A and apron C niay be raised by means of a system of levers, `all as shown and described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the frame A and oscillating levers D, of the bifurcated spring-retained lever E and the rod J, adapted to hold said lever against the action of its spring, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a draw-head, of a sliding frame carrying the coupling-pin, alinkguiding apron attached to the lower part of 3o said frame, and a suitable device for lifting said frame to withdraw the pin and guide the link into the draw-head, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN C. BRYAN. Vitnesses:

W. H. HENRY, THos. Q. C. HOUSE. 

